Milton’s Gone, and So Are Cubs’ Playoff Hopes

There are some facts about the Cubs that don’t need to be said. I’ve rounded them up here so they can huddle together in their unspoken misery.

Signing Milton Bradley was a mistake.

Suspending him was not.

The Cubs aren’t going to the playoffs.

Even the most jaded Cubs fans still harbored a tiny vigilante voice of hope deep in their hearts that was saying, “Let’s just wait and see how we* do this weekend in St. Louis.”

That voice is now muttering obscenities.

No matter the standings, it’s always nice to beat the Cardinals, especially after watching them prematurely rush the field in jubilant, firework-lit celebration.

Aaron Miles has had a bad year.

The Chicago media don’t like Milton Bradley. (Lesson to high-school jocks: Be nice to the nerds who don’t make the team and have to settle for praising you in the school paper; they will one day have the power to torture you.)

Jake Fox is a man’s man.

Only time will tell who overpaid more absurdly: Jim Hendry for Milton ($30 million) or the Ricketts family for this team ($845 million).

This season has been a disaster.

Someday we’ll go all the way.

*Yes, the voice deep inside the heart of skeptical Cubs fans refers to the team as “we.”

2 Replies to “Milton’s Gone, and So Are Cubs’ Playoff Hopes”

When the Cubs signed Milton, I said uh-oh. I knew his attitude wouldn't mix with the attitudes of Zambrano and Soriano. The Cubs look better than anyone on paper, but baseball is 75% talent, 15% luck, and 10% chemistry. They lack the remaining 25%.

I like Jake Fox, but he should be in the AL. I love Sam Fuld, love to see him get more playing time.

I don't think there was anyone among Cub fans who reacted to the Milton Bradley signing by saying, "Yes!!!!" What I heard at the time was varying levels of reserved skepticism and forced hope. I understand a GM not allowing the media/fan base to make his decisions, but he should have known the "meh" response would have been mutual from Bradley.

I can just picture Hendry conducting a job interview with Milton:

JH: Milton, what would you say is one of your biggest weaknesses.

MB: I'm not talking about that. Next question.

JH: . . . Okay . . . well, one of the skills any Chicago Cub needs to have is the ability to endure criticism from the fans and the media if you ever have a poor performance or an unfortunate development of some kind. How do you think you would handle negative response from . . .

MB: (interrupting) Who's talking? I'm just gonna give everything I got, play my game, and go home. If someone's saying I don't try or I'm no good, they can keep talking. They're idiots.

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